Birth of the Avenger
by Type-Smithee
Summary: The destruction of the Holy Grail caused horrific damage to Shinto. More than 500 people died that day. Only one small boy named Shirou Emiya survived with the help of Kiritsugu Emiya. The truth is that Shirou wasn't the only one who lived that day. Angra Mainyu was also born into the world with the body of Shirou. How will Shirou coexist with all the evil in the world in his mind?
1. Chapter 1 - Awakening

Scorching flames continuously consumed the remains of what was once a district called Shinto. Death, blood, and more unspeakable horrors were imprinted on the young red headed boy who continued watching in fear even as he tried to close his eyes from the world. His frail body is far too weak from the aftermath of this catastrophic nightmare. The golden eyed boy didn't have anything to compare this landscape to but from his weakening mind the best way to describe it all was a living hell. His small legs desperately continued to struggle to find any salvation, any hope that he could cling to. Trying to distract himself from all the death he attempts to move his neck up to only wallow in sorrow at the sight of the sky. A crimson-filled sky that was covered by black smoke from the burning buildings covered the distorted horizon. The most startling sight to behold was the black tower that manifested pure evil for all the world to see. Hot rubble was his next sight as his legs gave up from his tired body. He grit his teeth with all the will his body could muster or else the black void of unconsciousness awaited his demise. Not only was his body crushed beyond recovery, his mind was slowly crumbling from the hollow cries of the people trapped in hell with him. Pleas for salvation echoed throughout the burning landscape. More vicious shouts and screams entered his breaking mind.

"SAVE ME"

"DON'T LET ME DIE"

"I'M NOT READY TO DIE YET"

"SOMEONE PLEASE HELP MY DAUGHTER"

"DON'T LEAVE ME HERE"

His small hands came to shield his ears from the cries of the dying humans. He couldn't stay here any longer. He needed a way out of this nightmare. Through sheer will did his body answer his prayers as his tiny legs continued to crawl for hope. He wasn't strong enough to save anyone here. His cowardly wish for salvation plagued his feeble mind as only looking out for his own survival. That was all he could do at this time to try and atone for his sins after he could escape from it all. With his conscience preoccupied he didn't notice the encroaching black mud that searched for something in this hellhole.

Push. Stumble. Crawl. Breath. Push.

His actions almost mimicked a machine as he put all his faith on his will to solider on toward freedom. However, it wasn't enough. All his spirit was drained from his limbs as he slowly felt the impact of the melting ground below him. It all hurt so much. His body was broken from all the pain and abuse that the world spontaneously inflicted upon him. He struggled to find a reason why this was happening to him but as he searched for any right reason he realized that all of them were gone and instead replaced by this never ending nightmare. He couldn't cry anymore as he already wasted away all his tears for the death of his parents. The worst part of it was the he could no longer remember their faces or names. Not only was his body robbed from its healthy condition but also all of his wonderful memories were burned like a heated candle. It hurt to try and cry from his swollen tear ducts and soon found the action to be useless like his journey for salvation.

It was all so useless.

He was just a normal boy with friends and family and for it all to be gone in mere moments by a waking hell on earth. Instead of sadness he began laugh at the comedy of it all. His breaking conscience howled with laughter as his struggle for freedom stopped. It was going to be okay now. He already knew that he was close to death and he honestly felt fine with now. His life was already ruined by this tragic event and he braced himself for the comforting embrace of death. The only regret was not being able to save anyone here as his gleeful laugh died down from seeing charcoal bodies riddle a war torn battlefield. As his end time drew near he laid face first finally comfortable with his demise. He closed his eyes to the void to prepare himself for the afterlife. For several moments he could breath deeply after finding peace but it was soon replaced by one last desperate plea for salvation. His body couldn't move anymore but his mind raced towards one last wish.

"Please someone, anyone…save me."

* * *

The dark void of the Holy Grail which gave life to Kirei Kotomine and Gilgamesh searched the area for someone. It needed someone as a vessel in order to give life to once again and more importantly to control. His attempt to control the priest and the King of Heroes was a failure as both their strong minds broke free from Angra Mainyu's curse of all the world's evils which encompass all the world's sins with 6 billion curses that come from the gates of hell itself. All Angra could see was death and destruction which brought a smile to its nonexistent face. Its hatred of humans was predetermined ever since it was summoned so that isn't all that surprising. The search for a vessel to control began to seem hopeless as all it see was ruin from the destruction of the Holy Grail. The image of a crying Kiritsugu Eimya brought another fond memory and cursing him with the taint of the remains of grail was an added bonus. The Magus Killer's career was over for now as he'd have to live with the curse of Angra Mainyu's black mud. With that out of the way he continued searching for anyone who still lived from this chaos. It didn't have any real hope that anyone was strong enough to survive this all that would remain would be ashes of the dead after all. Taking one last look at destroyed landscape it jumped to surprise to see one small red headed boy among the dead. With his goal on sight he began his long trek across the ruined park with gusto as it could barely contain its curiosity for the lone boy. Approaching him as the form of black mud it slowly began to wrap itself around the kid as it looked over the youth who survived. He seemed to be your average little boy although the red hair was a bit strange for a Japanese youth. It couldn't determine the color of the boy's eyes as he desperately kept them closed for some reason. As his life force was seemingly at an end he slowly began the process of taking over his latest vessel to quickly stop after hearing a small voice in the boy's soul.

"Please someone, anyone…save me" was what Angra heard as the boy continued to contain his life by the will alone. Angra stayed in its position near the boy as it began to recover from the shock. The curiosity over the boy continued to deepen as it held respect for him. Hmm…now the original plan to take over his body was beginning to sound a little boring in all honesty. Maybe being stuck in that grail all the time gave it a strong sense of making dreams come true in a twisted sort of way. It could give life back to the boy just as it did with that damned priest and golden jerk but that wasn't all that Angra wanted. In truth it was fascinated by the boy's determination to keep on living despite the world forcing him to surrender towards the void of death. A sudden brilliant idea popped into the conniving mind of Angra as it decided on a new course of action. Instead of fully taking over this kid's body why not give it life, but also keep it's conscience inside him like a vessel yet still giving full reigns over to the boy. Angra wished to be a witness to the youth's life no matter how it turned out. It'd be taking out two birds with one stone after all. With his new goal in mind he began the process of control by wrapping the boy's body around dark mud until his whole body was inside the shadow of Angra Mainyu.

* * *

Opening his eyes he shivered as his worst fears of black nothingness surrounded him. While he accepted death at first it was only an excuse to ease the pain he felt all over his body and soul. Deep inside his heart he hoped that his last prayer would be answered to only find the darkness as an answer. Time went on without any measurement as the boy stayed in a some form of stasis. A bloody image of horrifying bloody faces surrounded the previous void. All around the boy was red from the blood of unknown strangers who only kept looking at him. His mind began to tear as so much _**iwanttodie**_information began to attack his_** killmekillmekillmekillmekillmekillmeiwanttodie die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die die DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE**_

_**MURDER RAPE TORTURE SUICIDE THEFT KILL BUTCHER CANNIBALISM CRUCIFIXTION ADULTERY BEHEADING GENOCIDE HOMICIDE PURGE DISEASE MANSLAUGHTER SADONISM HEDONISM NECROPHILLIA CLEANSING SLAVERY DROWNING FIRE PAIN EXECUTION PRISION PLAUGE DEATH DIE DIE-**_Brilliant bright light dispelled the curse from All The Evil in the World which came from the fairies itself. Avalon, the sheath for Excalibur, ended the torturous nightmare that enveloped the boy's soul. The boy slowly opened his eyes to see a tired man with black hair and torn clothes that resembles a slick dark trench coat which covered most of his thin build. The most striking part of the man before him was the other worldly sheath that he was carrying with him. The bright blue and gold colors were so bright that they almost blinded the boy's own golden eyes. He tried to look away but was compelled to not look away from the purity of it. _This must be the salvation that I was wishing for_. With that thought in mind he gave out a small but strong little smile that the tall man noticed immediately. After a long silence the man placed Avalon deep inside the boy in order to heal his wounds quicker. He then crouched down to eye level with the boy and began to life both of his small frail hands and hold them with his in a religious looking prayer. He muttered softly but it was audible enough for him to hear "I actually saved someone…dear god after searching for so long I finally did it.." Wet tears were felt from his small hands as the tall man broke down into tears after finally achieving something good from this living hell. For what seemed like ages to the boy the man continued to cry until he finally let go of the boy's hands in order to wipe the tears away. He looked down on the boy and asked, "Can you stand little boy?"

The boy simply shook his head with all his effort. With his question answered he gently lifted the boy off the rubble and placed him on his back in a piggyback position. "We're heading someplace safe so get some rest for now, okay?" The boy once again nodded in approval before shutting his eyes into a peaceful rest. His last thoughts before succumbing to dreams were that he hoped that he could be as happy as the man was when he saved him one day.

Deep within the heart of the boy laid a small but powerful darkness that contained the conscience of Angra Mainyu or better known as Avenger. Despite the power of Avalon inside Shirou's body the black mud that already tainted Shirou's body withstood the might of Avalon which ultimately changed his body. Even with Avalon, Kiritsugu couldn't beat the curse of Angra Mainyu. A small laugh broke out in the deep recess of avengers mind and exploded into cackling howls of laughter after having his plan succeed. If only Kiritsugu had been sooner would the boy be free from the curse of Avenger. With the kid's body now the perfect vessel for Avenger's amusement the laughs of a mad demon continued on in the dark conscience of the boy's mind.

And thus, All The Evil in the World was born with the body of a young boy named Shirou Emiya

* * *

Author's Notes: I apologize for any spelling errors or other grammatical mistakes for this chapter. This is my first time writing a fanfic so there will be many mistakes but I hope that they aren't enough to stop you from reading my story. The plot is basically having Shirou live with Avenger's tainted ideals in his mind at all times and the continuing relationship with the evil of all the world. This fic will cover the holy grail war to it's completion with many differences. I'll try to present the events of Fate Stay Night in some order but in general their will be many changes that'll be exciting and different. Be sure to leave any thoughts on my story in the review section. I'll keep on writing at a steady pace even if no one reads this. It's an exercise to challenge myself as a novice writer as well so I hope you'll join me.


	2. Chapter 2 - Rest and Recovery

White.

Pure white light blinded Shirou's eyes at first but slowly it dimmed to display a beige ceiling. At first he thought that he must've been in heaven as white was all that he could see. Setting that thought aside he quickly took sight of his surroundings and deemed the thought to be false. Machinery surrounded the young boy as he couldn't quite articulate what these machines were or their purpose. Despite his lack of knowledge on the equipment he could still guess that they were used in hospitals from the small experience with medical TV shows that he saw back at home. These small memories were hard to remember as all that was on his mind was the fire that devoured his previous life. Trying to sway his dark thoughts he continued looking at the scene before him as a hospital room that wasn't alone.

Shirou tried his best to look down at his comfy baby blue sheets that were comfy towards his beaten body. His mind couldn't forget what surrounded him as the rest of the hospital beds were filled with burnt bodies from the Shinto fire. He chided himself over thinking that he could have a moment of peace in order to try and forget the fire that engulfed his mind and body. The fire would always follow him and even the aftermath would remind himself of his weakness. He mentally compared his body's condition with the others in the room. If people looked on ahead they wouldn't have known that Shirou was actually in the fire when compared to the rest of the room. Burnt bodies dyed in black from the flames were all that was needed to show how lucky Shirou was. Normally anyone would be glad over their luck, but all Shirou could do was frown in guilt over how everyone else had fared. Noticing the lack of breathing from the bodies was the last nail in the head that Shirou was one of the few or possibly the only one that survived the flames that consumed Shinto. If he had any tears left in his tear ducts he'd be crying his eyes out but he couldn't anymore. The mental strain of how he should've died along with the rest as the chains of burden as being a sole survivor weighed heavily on the boy's mind and it ultimately led to Shirou resting his head on the pillow. He closed his eyes hard like in the flames to try and gain some much needed rest. He didn't realize that his wish for peace would not reside in his dreams as another survivor of the flames awoke.

* * *

He has always taken comfort from the dark void that usually inhabited something that he'd call home. Being in the grail for centuries ever since the Third Holy Grail War was enough experience to prepare himself for the darkness. He was still restless from boredom. Well at least he wasn't in the grail any longer. Avenger grinned to himself over his new situation as an inhabitant in the small body of the boy who survived long enough to impress him.

_Ah, it seems that the little kid's finally woken up but is currently trying hard to gain some more sleep._

A cruel smile stretched across his face over how he'd treat such laziness. He'd have to show that little boy what was going on and more importantly show who the one in charge is. Numerous harsh thoughts spun around his mind as to what he'd say to the frail boy in order to scare him good. He restrained his most cruel ideas and ultimately came up with something neutral. Avenger would never comfort the boy, but he didn't wish to crush the boy's spirit. Not so soon anyway. The hunt is always best when the prey is at its prime after all. Memories of hunting animals for food crept up his mind as his memories of a simpler time surfaced in his mind. Dismissing them as soon as they appeared, Avenger returned to his current situation. Yes, being kind for now would be fine. The boy is at his most vulnerable so crushing him wouldn't be as fun as it can be when he grows older. For now the boy better be thankful over how understanding he was being. He'd have to repay this kindness later but for now Avenger began saying the words that would surprise Shirou to his very core.

* * *

"**Are you going to sleep all day you lazy brat?"**

His shut eyes quickly reeled open as a foreign voice invaded his mind from the inside. _What was that? _ That question kept repeating inside his small head as he looked all around him in order to find whoever said that. He kept looking near and away from his bed until the realization that there wasn't anyone that he could find to place that voice dawned upon him.

"**Hey brat, you won't find anyone here that can speak as eloquently as yours truly" **Avenger bragged with an air of smug superiority.

The words escaped his throat as fast as possible.

"W-Who's there!?" He cursed his voice as his words were louder than he wanted it to be. **"I have a lot of fancy names that you can call me to display my greatness, but to keep things short you can call me Avenger." **The tone of voice was of annoyance yet they held a vicious undertone that you could not ignore. **"Don't take it the wrong way kid, you'll still have to respect your elders so remember to say my name with respect or else." **Shirou honestly couldn't believe what was happening. Was this voice _inside_ his head? Had the flames consumed his sanity as well? **"Trust me kid, you aren't going crazy just yet."**Shirou crept up a small smile as Avenger's harsh tone turned kind,** "Think of me as an imaginary being inside your head as a result of the flames." **Avenger's words frightened Shirou for several moments before he began to reflect upon his current situation. So he was right. Avenger is some being that came into his head as a result of the fire. Could he be considered a figment of his imagination? Was it some kind of coping system to try and recover from the nightmare of the fire? All these thoughts were currently not in the mind of the small boy and a much simpler realization occurred instead.

"So are you my imaginary friend?" Shirou whispered with pure kindness that would melt the heart of anyone.

An awkward silence remained for a long time before Avenger blurted out of sheer rage, **"W-well, we barely know anything about each other so I'd say no."**Avenger blurted out with the grace of a drunken 's small smile faded to a saddening frown which would make anyone guilty. **"Umm, that doesn't mean that I hate you or anything."** Headmitted with a hint of guilt **"Let's get to know each other better before we start being frei-ahh what the hell am I saying!?" **Av**e**nger shouted to the kind tone that Avenger was previously displaying quickly turned mean once again. **"Listen, I'm the one in charge for now so let's get somethings straight." **He announced with the commanding voice that sounded like astrict military instructor. **"First of all don't mention my existence to anyone you hear?" **Shirou meekly nodded his ahead to confirm Avenger's first request. **"I can't explain the whole situation to you as you're still a kid so keep the questions to yourself for now and follow my lead." "That doesn't mean that I want you to be an emotionless slave that follows all of my wishes. **"Avenger retorted with his thoughts of controlling Shirou's mind at first but choosing not to** "Just take my advice to heart and you'll be fine." **Not wanting to anger Avenger, Shirou continued to nod in accordance to all that Avenger had to say. **"Lastly, I'd say that our current relationship is on of master and apprentice." **He assured with a sage persona. **"I've lived for a long time and know enough about life to help guide you into whatever you wish to be so just shut up and soak up what I have to say like a sponge." **At this Shirou imagined Avener as a wise old green man that was in those space movies that he saw a long time ago. Shaking his head away from that strange mental image, Shirou realized that something was wrong.

Trying to correct his mistake he stated, "Ah, Mister Avenger I forgot to tell you my name when you introduced yourself." At this Avenger began to laugh at how polite the young boy was acting towards an imaginary being in his head. Taking the silence as an answer to continue on Shirou's voice grew confident as he continued. "My name is Shirou, I hope we can get along mister Avenger." Avenger wanted to reply with a crass response before abandoning that train of thought. He mused to himself that perhaps being nice for now would be excusable since he did feel some sorrow for the boy's condition. These feelings would soon disappear as Avenger's true nature will appear soon enough. His sadistic mind came up with even more reasons why to act like this but he was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps slowly approaching the boy's bed.

* * *

The first thought that crossed Shirou's mind as he took sight of the man before him was awe. He was the same man who helped rescue him during the fire. He couldn't exactly remember what the tall disheveled man before him did to save his life, but he knew that he'd save him in his time of need. A bright smile crossed his lips as he tried to lift himself off the bed before being pushed down by the man himself.

"Hold on now kid, you still aren't ready to stand up." He spoke softly with care towards Shirou. Shirou gave way to the man as he rested back on the bed never letting his eyes stray away from the man's dead looking eyes. A comfortable silence continued after this but was dispelled by the man's sickly cough. After several moments of coughs the man let the tray of food that he was carrying rest next to Shirou's lap. After moments of weakness he gained his usual professional persona. "Before we begin talking I'd like to know your name" He said with a calm but firm voice that commanded attention. It took Shirou longer than usual to respond to such an easy question as all his focus was on the man's voice. He snapped out of his inner thoughts and replied to the man's question. "My name is Shirou, I can't seem to remember my last name anymore." The man's figure slumped after hearing that sad remark yet he still maintained his usual stance. "That's a shame Shirou, I know you didn't ask but I'll tell you my name if you'd like." Shirou's head nodded in approval in a hastily fashion which resulted in a small chuckle from the tall man. Shirou's cheeks grew hot in embarrassment from being laughed at by his hero. "My name is Kiritsugu Emiya, and it's a pleasure to meet you Shirou." Kiritsugu admitted with a smile on his face as he looked down towards the boy he saved. Shirou would normally look away from shyness at being looked at so directly but his golden eyes couldn't stop starting at the figure that was larger than life to him. Kiritsugu took his attention away from Shirou for a moment to look at the rest of the people that were in the hospital room. A visible frown cast his face as he remembered the cost of his last command seal which caused the Shinto fire. He knew that he had to do it or else the grail would've killed even more people. The mantra of his life was tested once again as he chose to save the lives of the many instead of the lives of the few. Each time he killed people to save more people a part of his soul started to crumble over the guilt that hit his conscience. His mental fortitude was almost crushed by the death of his guardian Natalia but he sacrificed his emotions in order to do what needed to be done. After the discovery of the Holy Grail he became a machine which would show no emotions after killing many people in order to achieve his goal of a utopia without war and needless death. After confronting his final test with the visions that the grail displayed his whole soul broke over seeing what he had to do to achieve his dream. He couldn't sacrifice the people he loved plus the many other millions of lives that would need to be sacrificed in order to grant his wish.

The machine that was once known as the Magus Killer died that day as he destroyed the utopia that he fought countless battles for. He thought that he'd sacrificed everything in order to accomplish his goal but it all turned out to be a damning hypocrisy. He lost everything due to this war and the aftermath seemed to confirm his thoughts as he remembered the death around Shinto. His last wish was to simply save anyone from his mistake. What he found was staring right at him with admiration which confused Emiya, but he deemed it something that wasn't important at the moment. Ruffling his hair he began to admit the reason why he was here in the first place.

* * *

The first thought that crossed Avenger's mind was happiness. He was glad to see that the Magus Killer was still alive and well. Saying that he is alive is stretching it despite the man's normal posture he could see that he was struggling to stay up straight. _Heh, it seems that my curse is working as planned. _He couldn't stop smiling as he kept seeing Emiya try to maintain any semblance of normalcy. Avenger would be disappointed if the winner of the Holy Grail War had died in the Shinto fire. After all, the one who orchestrated the cause for the Shinto fire had to see the fruits of his labor. Well, the priest was the one who actually wished for destruction since Emiya rejected the grail but he doubted that Emiya would ever know the real reason for the fire. He found the Magus Killer to be a fascinating individual after seeing his memories during Kiritsugu's wish upon the grail.

Avenger respected the Magus Killer for many reasons. He's had to deal with many hardships throughout his life and has general done greatly in most situations after learning from his mistake with not killing Shirley sooner. She was the cause for the Dead Apostates spreading across the island after all. After that Kiritsugu's life was more or less filled with death and violence that came from the trigger of the Magus Killer himself. The only time he wasn't killing was with his relationship with the homunculus, Irisviel von Einzbern. After many years of traveling the world the concept of the Magus Killer settling down in order to marry someone was inconceivable but the love story that Avenger witnessed was a good reason to do so. He didn't find any glee in seeing how their relationship turned out as Kiritsugu realized that he'd have to sacrifice her homunculus body in order to create the Holy Grail. That's why Iris birthed a child in order to leave Kiritsugu hope after she passed away. The true moment that captured Avenger's attention was the rejection of the Holy Grail. The Magus Killer has already sacrificed so much. He sacrificed his youth, innocence, father, love, sensei, and all emotions that would dictate humanity yet in the end he refused to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to create his dreams. A story like that is the perfect tale of a tragic hero. The epic that was Kiritsugu Emiya's life won't be remembered by many but to those who know the truth it'd be a grand story to tell. Avenger's thoughts on the Magus Killer were replaced after hearing the man himself once again.

* * *

"I have two choices to present to you Shirou which are important so please pay attention." He announced with a commanding voice which was still gentle overall. Shirou meekly nodded once again while keeping his eyes staring intently on Kiritsugu. Kiritsugu sat down in the chair next to Shirou's bed before admitting the choices Shirou had. "One choice is placing you up for adoption which means being brought to an orphanage." Shirou remembered once more that he couldn't even conjure a mental image of his own parents. "The other choice is for me to become your legal guardian which means having you being taken care of by me." He declared both options with care as he awaited Shirou's answer. For Shirou the choice was obvious.

"I'd like to stay with you sir." Shirou proclaimed with a gleeful smile that warmed the heart of Kiritsugu.

Kiritsugu understood why Shirou was happy with this situation as he dealt with a similar situation in being adopted by Natalia. He would obviously raise Shirou as a regular boy instead of training to becoming a assassin. He looked at Shirou's smile with a smile of his own as he replied. "Very well, it'll take a couple of days for you to be released from the hospital, by then we'll be living in a home that I've been trying to purchase for a while now." Shirou chose to stay silent as all of his attention was kept on the man who was now his knew father. A low growl from the boy's stomach broke the silence as a telltale sign of hunger erupted from his body. Kiritsugu chuckled once more which caused another light blush on Shirou's cheeks. Kiritsugu placed his hand on Shirou's head before lightly patting as a gentle gesture. "Don't be embarrassed now Shirou, you're probably pretty hunger which is why I brought you some breakfast." Shirou panned down to see a ham sandwich with a glass of orange juice on his food tray. "I'll let you eat for now as I have a lot of things to do today so be sure to eat it all okay?" Kiritsugu joked with a humorous tone of voice which continued to embarrass Shirou. Kiritsugu rose from his gray chair and started to walk away from Shirou before stopping and whispering.

"I'm a magus, Shirou."

* * *

Author's Notes: Thanks to all of the reviews, favorites, and follows that you've all given this story so far. I was surprised to see such a response to a first timer's story. Sorry for the lack of updates as I've been busy with real life and mostly just Bloodborne and Mortal Kombat X. I'll continue a weekly update but don't expect it to happen every week. This chapter may seem slow at first but I just wanted to write the starting moments of Shirou's new life. The next chapter will be more slice of life so don't expect any action just yet. Thanks again for reading!


	3. Chapter 3 - A New Home

"Welcome home Shirou."

Kiritsugu's soothing voice reverberated inside the young boy's head ever since they rested in their new home. Shirou's curiosity got the best of him at first as he took those words in stride in order to explore the new so-called home His brief memories of his old home were of a modern Shinto home which contrasted greatly to his current home. His socks felt the main theme of the Emiya home which is wood. The hard surface comforted the smooth texture of Shirou's white socks. His father previously informed him that the home wasn't ready yet as more construction was on the way. It was clear to Shirou as most of the outside of the home missed the materials necessary such as lumber and other construction tools.

Luckily his room was already complete as most of the issues came from the outside area of the home. He was glad to find that the room was plain without any previous history such as posters or other mementos. Setting up the tatami mat and futon his thoughts were on the overall home and his room as they were both a blank canvas for new memories to be made. The thought scared him at first as his vulnerable mind sought after anything stable in his life. These worries soon died down as his idea of a blank canvas became more appealing. His old life as a regular Shinto boy were burned to ashes as a his new life began anew. The thoughts of the fire continued to plague his mind with guilt, but instead of succumbing to his fears he cast those dark thoughts aside in order to somehow atone for abandoning the cries of help that he passed by in order to survive.

"**Hehe, I like that look in your eye boy."**

Avenger's stated with pride and conviction which brought his thoughts to another issue to explore. The other problem that saddled his small mind was the thought of what exactly Avenger was. His previous statements in the hospital weren't exactly convincing, plus it all sounded insane. The thought of forming some kind of presence inside his head honestly scared the boy. Another small but cute thought filled his mind as his other theory of having an imaginary friend which was quickly dismissed. He didn't want to make Avenger angry after all.

"**I sensed some sort of insult coming from you, but it's gone now." **Avenger bragged in gleeful arrogance which only continued. **"You learn quick boy keep it up or else I'll make you sorry." **He growled in deadly anger which shook the boy to his core for several moments before quickly regaining his calm form. **"Listen up boy you can rest for now after what you've been through, but don't remain complacent for long." **Avenger's declared with a strong conviction which captured Shirou's mind. **"Train your body and mind in order to fulfill your guilt over the lives lost in the fire." "I'll be watching over you so don't disappoint me boy." **He threatened with a malice that clouded his mind with a strange sense of inspiration in order to fulfill Avenger's wishes. These words continued to plague his mind into deep concentration. After several moments of tense thinking the last question and most important one was about to be answered.

* * *

Illuminating moonlight shined brightly to reveal the weakened figure of the once famous Magus Killer. He always enjoyed peaceful moments like this since he was usually living a dangerous life on the battlefield. The weather at night was perfect to be in a comfortable gray colored robe which expressed his unusual calm persona. He was currently sitting on the floor near the backyard of the of his new home with wistful eyes set across a messy backyard. He actually felt like a regular adult male as his mind was currently set on the task of trying to finish construction on his new home. Despite his failure during the 4th Holy Grail War he had enough money in his war chest to be able to pay for the large home. At first the thought of owning such a large home was crazy to him as he'd probably live by himself after the war. The reason why he purchased the new home was landing a good deal with the local Fujimura yakuza. His reputation as an assassin of sorts got him respect when it counted. Iri would probably say that he'd been spoiled by the Einzbern mansion. He scoffed at that thought. Of course this place wasn't his true home. No offense to Shirou, but he desperately missed his daughter Illya. Suppressing a large coughing fit from coming he held himself close and began drinking his green tea. "Perhaps the curse of Angra Mainyu is my price to pay for abandoning my daughter." He whispered weakly as dark thoughts crept into his mind.

He would never regret his choice regarding the end of the 4th Holy Grail War. Despite all of his mistakes, his strong conviction of being a machine of death didn't waiver against human thoughts. He truly did believe he had become a trained machine after doing what he's done for all his life. He'd do what was right in order to save as many lives as possible. During his early career as an assassin with his guardian Natalia he'd feel sharp pain in his chest for every life that he took. It only took years of training and walking with death in order to make his Magus Killer persona becoming reality. He sacrificed everything in order to accomplish his goals of being a hero. It was what he told his best friend Shirley during his youth after all. He knew that being a fictional hero like in the manga that he liked to read was impossible. So he choose the shadows to work with instead and becoming a hero that'd do anything to save as many people as possible. He still felt human most of the time with his wife Iri, but it truly did occur whenever he played with his cute daughter. He could still remember fond memories of giving birth to a human life despite his wife being a homunculus. Her beauty and personality were enough for Kiritsugu to fall in love and grant her wish of giving birth. He truly loved his family with all his heart. He loved them enough to second guess his involvement in the war as he'd ultimately have to sacrifice his wife in order to achieve his dream. He even had agents create many back up plans to escape the clutches of the Einzbern family in order to live a happy life with his family.

The biggest reason that he dismissed these romantic fantasies was his wife. He could still remember her powerful stance and tone after hearing his wishes to escape their dire future.

"Kiri, I'm happy that you've thought of this for so long but it's useless." She looked at him passionate eyes which always captivated Kiritsugu. He retorted back, "Iri, aren't you scared about what'll happen to you during the war?" She looked back at him with a small frown but her posture never weakened. "Of course I am, yet I'll still fight during the war." She expressed and then wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him close. He stared down at his beautiful wife with her divine looks which couldn't compare to regular people. Her cheeks grew hot with embarrassment but she looked back with her bright red eyes which stared into his own black eyes. "You've given me happiness and love which I never thought I'd receive as a homunculus." She stated sweetly while looking away from his intense gaze. "You've loved me for so long and thought me so much about the world." Kiritsugu continued to listen to her proclamation with silence. "You also gave me my wish of giving birth to a wonderful daughter." "I've always known that my life would be limited so let me grant you your own wish after years of hard work." He tried to come up with a response after her admission but he couldn't argue back after staring at her kind words which would never falter. The only response left was for him to nod his head at her words and go in for a kiss after hearing her. She easily responded to his kiss and kissed back with vigor. They both embraced each other as another wonderful memory from the married couple.

* * *

"Umm, Mister Emiya?"

Kiritsugu jolted from his lovely memories in order to look down towards his new adopted son with a questioning gaze. "What is it, Shirou?" He replied with a calm smile and awaited his son's next reply. Looking at his clothes it seems he wanted to be just like him as he was also wearing traditional Japanese robes. An awkward silence between both father and son continued on for a while before the red headed boy answered with gusto.

"I'd like to know more about your being a magician"

"I'd a magus Shirou, remember that."

Kiritsugu's quick reply shook the boy for a split second before he earnestly nodded his head in approval. Kiritsugu ruminated on how to respond to the boy's curiosity. Perhaps it was a mistake to tell a normal person about this so soon was his first thought but it was replaced by his concrete idea. Obviously any smart magus would never reveal their secret but Shirou would be protected by him. He wanted to be honest to the small boy which was on the track to become his son. He didn't which to start their relationship on a lie for Shirou to discover his father's magic out of the blue. The best reason as to why he said what he said was out of a whim to try and see Shirou's reaction. He didn't want to scare the boy from being adopted after all.

Noticing another uncomfortable silence creep up, Kiritsugu continued. "Don't worry about that now as I'll tell you all about it on a later date." He could see a small frown on the boy's face after hearing that. For now he'd keep the world of magic a secret and deal with more humane problems from now on. He was smart enough to already set up a bounded field around the Emiya residence in order to ward off any enforcers from the Mage's Association. He smiled back and gently patted Shirou's head after seeing him nod to his response. After a long time staring at the moon with his son while sipping hot tea he stood up to only crouch down into a coughing fit. He felt a small hand grasp his shoulder and try to comfort his coughs which helped somewhat. "Are you ok, sir?" Shirou yelped in worry after seeing his dad in such a pitiful state. It took a long time for him to regain his posture before he replied back. "I'm fine now son so thanks for worrying about me." After another silence which was more calm then previously Kiritsugu began to walk across the hallway. "It's late so go get some sleep Shirou." He said with a calm smile before walking away.

"W-Wait!" Shirou yelled with vigor after hearing Avenger in his head tease him in order to stop being shy.

He stood still in order to answer his son's command before slowly turning back to see a more serious stance from the boy. They both sat down in order to begin one last talk before going to sleep.

* * *

From the dark abyss inside Shirou's mind rested the cruel beast known as Avenger. He took in the sight of Kiritsugu with stride. He could only laugh after seeing the brilliant Magus Killer become a shell of his former self with his own curse it. He smiled in madness after seeing the boy be tricked into listening to his demand of saying whatever he had to say to his dad. The little boy was beginning to become a bother after having so many doubts. He wants to see the strength of the kid who survived the Shinto fire with determination which was impressive to say the least. Avenger understood the boy's curiosity to the hidden magic world after hearing his savior say it himself. He already thought of it to be a mistake from Kiritsugu as the boy would continue to pester him about it from now on. Avenger watched the scene in silence in order to hear what was troubling the little brat.

"W-why did you save me?" Shirou said with a strange determination yet hesitance to ask such a question to his own savior. "Because it was the right thing to do." Kiritsugu replied with a quickness that was filled with passion. Shirou could only stare at his hero with admiration and jealous for seeing that smile which reminded him of that same expression from the fire. "Ehh?" Shirou's whimpered as he could only question what he'd heard from his hero. "It's not that hard to understand, you should always try to help people who need to be saved." Kiritsugu replied with confidence before continuing on. "Obviously you shouldn't risk your life to save someone or anything rash like that." Shirou meekly nodded his head after hearing his father reply to his question. He bent down and stared at his son's golden eyes before gently embracing him. Shirou yelped a cute squeal after the unexpected contact.

Kiritsugu could only try and comfort the survivor of the fire which was caused by his own action. He would think of it as the right choice, yet that didn't mean that he was guilt-free. The hug was an excuse to avoid the boy's dead golden eyes from staring into his own soul. How could he ever be forgiven after taking everything away from this young boy who had a bright future before being ruined by the fire. From the close contact he could feel Avalon's warmth coming from the inside of Shirou. The thought of Avalon brought another regret which was small but important. He knew from the first summon of Saber that he could never get along with the King of Knights, Saber. Kiritsugu's own ideals clashed with Saber's as they argued the fate of Lancer during the war. Despite his outward attitude toward Saber he could only look at her with admiration. While he would never say it he always respected the heroics that Saber accomplished during her life. As a fan of heroes the epic tale of King Arthur he always wished to have a better relationship with such a hero. He was busy dealing with the war and his overall thoughts of Saber from intel informed him that they wouldn't get along. He still felt sorry for ruining her chance at accomplishing her wish. Their relationship aside he felt thankful that Avalon was taking care of his son. He'd probably need Avalon's care in order to help against the curse inflicted on his body. He didn't think that he could be cured as the curse is too strong to heal, even against Avalon. He stepped back and wished goodnight to his son once again before going back to his room. The movement still left Shirou in a daze before he returned to his room in order to sleep away his worries.

Several weeks passed before the house was fully complete for good. Shioru and his father lived in peace for these weeks before the beast within Shirou forced him to pester his dad into teaching him magic. These attempts only grew worse before Kiritsugu agreed to teach Shirou the secret world of magic. Shirou and Avenger's lives were going to get more exciting from here on out. Avenger's days of being peaceful were going to be over soon.

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A/N: The next chapter will focus on Shirou's magic and Avenger's own training. Thanks for reading once again! The pace of the story will only get faster from here on out with magecraft being a big focus for now.


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